The Couple Who Weren't
by BimboBoop
Summary: How Blair and Dan become a couple, and are the last to realise it.
1. Nate

**The Couple Who Weren't**

Nate is the first to notice. It is an unusual position for him to be in, because usually he is the last to find these things out.

He is surprised, and unsure what he's supposed to do. Should he tell someone?

And what exactly would he say?

Because the whole thing is so bizarre, he doesn't know what to make of it.

What makes it even more complicated is that _they _seem completely oblivious. To the fact that, for all intents and purposes, they appear to be a couple.

It dawns on him while he is standing by himself bored at a charity gala, and observes Dan and Blair sneaking off early to get their coats.

"Uh, why is she taking so long? How hard is it to find a couple of coats? After all, they should stand out. Mine was the best one here, and yours was the worst," Blair mutters, glaring at the retreating figure of the coat check girl.

Nate sees Dan roll his eyes. "Hey, if I was getting paid minimum wage to fetch and put away coats that cost more than I'd make in a month, I wouldn't exactly be burning a hole in the floor either."

Blair snorts. "Please, spare me your speech on the rights of the working classes. You'll be just as pissed as I will be if we miss the start."

Dan shakes his head at her. "We can always make the ten o'clock showing instead." He looks at her speculatively. "Actually, did you have dinner before coming here?"

Blair sends him a baleful look. "I filled up on the crab cakes," Blair replies defensively.

"You had exactly two crab cakes," Dan contradicts readily. "I can tell when you're hungry, Waldorf, it always makes you extra grumpy and impatient. We'll get something to eat and then go to the later showing," he says as the coat check girl finally retrieves their coats and hands them over.

"It's not necessary," Blair argues as Dan helps her into her coat, but the objection sounds somewhat half-hearted to Nate.

"We'll go to that Italian place you love," Dan says cajolingly. "I won't even tell anyone if you order a dessert."

Blair bites her lip, then sends him a mischievous smile. "Okay, we'll go to the later showing," she agrees. Dan grins back at her, and his hand seems to linger on her arm for just a second after he's helped her into the coat.

As they take their leave, Nate is left feeling somewhat amazed by the exchange he just overheard.

Despite the bickering, if the pair had been strangers to him, he would have readily concluded that they were a couple. But Dan and Blair were not even supposed to be friends!

For a few minutes Nate wonders if he ought to mention the odd episode to anyone. His eyes seek out Serena, but she is gazing soulfully at a spruced-up Ben, seemingly indifferent once more to her ex's movements. Meanwhile Chuck's attention seems fully occupied with Raina, though whether for purposes of seduction or sabotage Nate isn't sure.

Over the next few days he considers the possibility of teasing Dan or Blair about the interlude, but something holds him back. Because as unfathomable as it is, there was something sweet and tender and private in that moment that the two had shared, but Nate senses that if he were to point that out to them, it might spoil it.

So Nate does not discuss the unsettling incident with anyone. But at future social gatherings he can't help but notice that Blair tends to leave much earlier than she used to, invariably with Dan at her side.


	2. Eric

_Many thanks to all who reviewed! _

Eric is the next to see it. He's always been perceptive, perhaps because he's spent so much of his life as a spectator to the antics of the more forceful personalities surrounding him –his mother, his sister, even his step-sister.

At any rate, it becomes apparent to him one night after his break-up with Elliot. He decides to take a page out of his big sister's book of life lessons for once, and goes to a bar to get very, very drunk.

And that is where Dan and Blair find him three hours later.

It seems his family (in its most extended version, at that) have been frantic about him. They have divided the city up and set out in search parties to look for him. Nate and Chuck are sent to scour all the underground nightclubs; Serena and Lily (the incident bringing them together for the first time in weeks) to visit all his childhood haunts and favourite places; while Rufus takes the task of remaining at home in case he shows up. So Dan and Blair get the job of searching the local bars.

Eric is relieved that they are the ones to find him. Lily and Serena always carry around such an excess of feelings, and right now he is too tired and fed up and overwhelmed to deal with anyone's emotions but his own. Chuck and Nate might have been just about bearable, but probably would have tried too hard to cheer him up, the way you do with kid brothers, and Eric wants the right to stay depressed.

Somehow Dan and Blair just get this. Maybe because they have felt that way before too.

"I'm not ready to go back," he tells them straight off. And they just turn and give each other a look that seems to encompass a whole conversation. Then Blair sits down beside him and Dan calls for the barkeep to bring them another three drinks.

So they drink. Then they drink some more. And instead of giving him well-meaning but unsolicited advice, they simply commiserate with him.

Eric starts to feel better.

Blair teaches them some of her 'intellectual' drinking games (first one to run out of names of twentieth-century American playwrights, eighteenth-century French philosophers, 1940s film stars etc. has to take a shot). Then when the liquor has gone to their heads to such an extent they can't even say the word phil-os...phil-ili...phililiososophy...Dan makes them play 'I never'. It scandalously transpires that Dan has not never seen the movie Clueless, that Eric has not never worn flannel and that Blair has not never danced to a Britney Spears song.

As a threesome, they click. But as Eric watches them tease each other, Dan making sarcastic comments about Blair's girlhood Mickey Mouse club obsession and Blair returning the favour by punching him in the arm, he realises that, even more so, Dan and Blair click as a couple.

Blair doesn't just look happy, she looks relaxed, a strangely un-Blair-like state that he doesn't know if he's ever seen her in. In the past, even when she's been happy, it's had a certain manic quality, as if she was afraid if she didn't hold on to the feeling tightly enough it would slip away. But there's a carefree quality about her tonight, with her chestnut curls falling in wild abandon, the heightened colour suffusing her cheeks, the genuine smile spread across her face. She's even wearing jeans.

Meanwhile, Dan's looking less crumpled than usual. It's partly the clothes (has Blair been helping him shop), but also some more intangible quality within. He seems energized. Looking back, Eric thinks that the overwhelming emotion Dan has projected in the past has been weariness, as if he was constantly worn out by whirlwind Serena and by feeling out of place amongst the shenanigans of the Upper East Side. But as he sits by Blair, looking into her sparkling eyes as she recounts an anecdote about the first time Serena and Chuck got her drunk, Dan seems completely at ease. As though he's finally found the comfortable spot he'd been looking for all these years.

"Thanks guys," Eric says out of the blue, overwhelmed with gratitude by their simple acceptance of his mood and disinclination to talk about the break-up. "I really appreciate the way you haven't tried to force me into a deep and meaningful discussion I'm not ready for yet. And held back on offering any guiding wisdom."

Blair snorts. "Well, I think anyone who has dated Vanessa Abrams _and _Georgina Sparks is automatically disqualified from dispensing relationship advice for all perpetuity, anyway."

"And _I'm_ pretty sure the same ruling applies on anyone who's dated Chuck Bass," Dan quips back, softening the statement with a smile that Blair easily returns.

"Rather than talk it out, I say we take Ellen's advice and dance it out," Blair declares, forcefully grabbing a hand of each boy and dragging them onto the dance floor.

They both groan, though Eric really doesn't mind.

Somehow he doesn't think that Dan really minds either, judging from the goofy smile he gets on his face as Blair begins swaying rhythmically to the music.


	3. Vanessa

Vanessa is horrified.

The consciousness of it creeps up on her slowly as she tries to repair her broken friendship with Dan.

He has been avoiding her ever since the whole Serena-Juliet fiasco.

Whenever she catches sight of him around campus and tries to engage him in conversation, Dan always makes excuses about having somewhere to be. And that somewhere to be usually involves Blair.

A couple of times she actually finds them together. Vanessa drops by his place with Chinese food, and finds Blair teaching him how to make sushi. Vanessa offers to help him study for their American lit mid-term, only to discover that he and Blair have already been swapping notes, as she's taking practically the same course at Columbia. Vanessa calls to ask him to a showing of _Mon Oncle_ (banking on his love of Tati cancelling out the awkwardness between them), only to find that he has already seen it with Blair.

Eventually she corners him in the library. When she calls him out on his avoidance techniques, Dan informs her tersely that he has been very busy completing his internship at _W_.

"Yeah, congratulations about that, by the way," Vanessa replies warmly, latching onto the neutral topic as a way to keep him in conversation. "Too bad you have to share it with Blair Waldorf," she adds sympathetically. She hopes he'll take the bait. After all, it is hard to stay angry at one person, when you are bitching to them about someone else.

"Actually, if it wasn't for Blair I wouldn't even have the internship," Dan replies firmly.

Vanessa raises her eyebrow. "Really? Because I read about the slapping match on Gossip Girl."

Dan colours slightly. "We may have got off to a rocky start. Which was mostly my fault, because I didn't trust Blair when she offered to work together to outshine the other interns. I figured she'd try to sabotage me, so I decided to sabotage her first."

Vanessa shrugs, unconcerned by this treatment of her nemesis. "Well, with Blair you always have to assume there's a hidden agenda."

Dan narrows his eyes. For a minute he opens his mouth and it looks like he is about to argue, then he pauses, and continues evenly, "Well, I was wrong this time. And despite my attempt to make her look bad, Blair and I impressed the magazine so much they took the unprecedented step of offering two intern positions."

Vanessa sniffs disparagingly. "I still don't think it's really fair to you though. After all, you got in on talent alone. Whereas their decision to hire Blair probably has more to do with who her mother is, than who _she_ is."

This time the fury in Dan's eyes is unmistakeable. He rises from his chair and raises his voice to a pitch that has the librarian looking at him forebodingly.

"Vanessa, not only was Blair hired on her own merits, but she proves she deserves that spot every day with the hours of work she puts in. Her biting candour is finally being put to good use, and EVERYONE is impressed by her creativity and drive," Dan pauses, but Vanessa is too shocked by his impassioned defence of the girl he has always claimed to hate to interject.

"And even if what you said was true than it would be more fool them because _who she is_, is the most frighteningly intelligent, cuttingly witty and opinionatedly cultured person I've ever met, which – by the way – is _exactly _what the magazine needs."

Vanessa is flustered and hurt. It was bad enough having him constantly choosing Serena over her, but now it feels like he is picking Blair over her as well.

She tries to reason with him. "This is _Blair Waldorf _we're talking about right?" she asks sarcastically. "The girl who makes a school of piranhas seem soft and cuddly by comparison? Don't get me wrong, I have no doubt she's right at home in the superficial, status-worshipping back-stabbing world of women's magazines, but what on earth are you doing defending her? Intelligent and cultured? I think you have forgotten that she is also the most lying, scheming, conniving, manipulative bitch you've ever met as well," Vanessa finishes, shaking with anger.

Dan regards her coolly. "Actually, no. I'm sorry to say that since the whole Juliet debacle that honour goes to someone else entirely," he tells her pointedly, before turning on his heel and stalking off.

The same day Vanessa packs up, drops out of NYU and leaves Manhattan for good.

In later years, on the commune, she will sometimes tell the story of how she lost her best friend to the insidious machinations of the Upper East Side.

But she knows it is a lie.

Because it was Blair Waldorf, not the UES, that seduced Dan away from her for good. Because even though _they _evidently hadn't realised it yet, from that afternoon Vanessa knew that Dan clearly belonged to Blair.


	4. Dorota

Dorota approves.

Dorota realises what is happening when Miss Blair begins to agonize over her outfit options (even more than usual) whenever she has plans with Mister Dan.

The sight of outfits strewn across her young mistress's room is a familiar sight. Dorota has had to put up with it when Miss Blair was dating Mister Nate, then when she was sneaking around with Mister Chuck, then when she was seeing Mister Nate again, then when she wasn't seeing Mister Chuck but was spending a lot of time flirting with him, then when she had run back to Mister Nate again, and of course when she had finally been dating Mister Chuck for real.

When Mister Nate had been Miss Blair's boyfriend Dorota had been charmed by his aura of wholesomeness and boy-next-door qualities. During the years of drama he and Blair had spent in a cat-and-mouse game of one-upmanship, Dorota had been beguiled by Chuck's charisma and the overwhelming gravitational pull he seemed to feel for her young mistress.

But when Miss Blair begins to so spend the greater part of her free time with the shambling boy from across the bridge, for the first time Dorota feels simple, unconditional approval, free of the reservations she has felt about Blair's romantic adventures in the past.

She approves because Mister Dan never simply drops Blair off in the lobby of the apartment building, but always insists on riding the elevator with her all the way to the top floor, not taking his departure until she is safely ensconced inside her own home. Mister Nate had usually sent Miss Blair home from their dates in his car service alone. Mister Chuck had always personally dropped her off on the sidewalk, but had only come up when he was planning on staying the night. But Mister Dan seems eager to seize any excuse to remain in her surrogate daughter's company. Sometimes the two will say their goodbyes in the hallway, and end up standing there talking for another half hour, as if they don't really want to say good night.

She endorses them because Miss Blair never seems less than herself when Dan is around. She doesn't have to compromise who she is because, even though both of them refuse to admit it, they are actually very much alike. They are able to trade insults by making references to obscure historical facts no one else has ever heard of. They discuss (well, debate) the merits of various literary works that would have had Mister Nate scratching his head vaguely. They go to film festivals that Mister Chuck would have refused to attend because going to the movies was just 'too plebeian'. And in winter, they both prefer hot chocolate over coffee. Dan rises even further in Dorota's estimation when Dan discovers Blair prefers hers from a particular cafe a few blocks away where they put a little chilli powder in it, and brings one too her every time he comes over without fail, even though this takes him out of his way.

Dorota approves because Dan makes Miss Blair smile. Not always intentionally, it's true. But he has enough humility to laugh at himself when Blair makes fun of him. Sometimes he even seems to go out of his way to be a dag so that he can enjoy watching her amusement at his expense.

But most of all she approves because he never, ever makes her cry. (Well, she ends up crying one night when they watch _All This, and Heaven Too_ together snuggled up on the couch; but in fairness Dan's eyes are watering quite noticeably as well.) He always picks her up on time, and is never distracted from her side by some domestic drama or existential crisis. He teases her, but is never truly cruel. And when she does sometimes cry – over various calamities involving her mother, or Mister Chuck, or her endless need to be the best – it turns out he has shoulders that seem to have been specifically built for her to lean on.

So Dorota puts up with Miss Blair's ravings about having nothing to wear every time Dan comes over quietly and stoically. And when she suggests Blair wear the Scala platinum paiette cocktail dress to the George Cukor retrospective, she has the pleasure of seeing Dan's eyes pop as he stutters hello.

Yes, she approves of Daniel Humphrey.

_Thanks again for all the terrific reviews guys! They mean so much. By the way, anyone who loves old romances and hasn't seen 'All This, and Heaven Too' starring Bette Davis and Charles Boyer, should check it out. It makes me cry every time, and I could totally see Dan and Blair watching it. Also fellow Dair fans, I've been thinking about the whole question of whether Dair could really be endgame. I think the producers are probably reluctant to make Dan/Blair too epic or put them in a committed relationship because it will complicate their Season One canon pairings, wrongly believing that endgame couples must have had romantic history throughout the series. But then I thought about Dawson's Creek and Pacey and Joey! They didn't get together until late season three but attracted such a large fan base it completely threw off the plans for Dawson/Joey endgame. So maybe if Leighton/Penn have enough chemistry – and I think they do – and win enough people over, we will get our wish of some serious Dair action after all! To see the cocktail dress I mention go to . _


	5. Jenny

Jenny figures it out too. She pouts and glares and only thinks about what ramifications this might have for her.

She might have remained blissfully ignorant, hidden away in Hudson, as she barely even bothered to respond to Dan's regular emails anymore.

Because it turns out moving out of Manhattan doesn't simply erase the chaos and confusion from your life when you're a naturally chaotic and confused person. Especially if you're a chaotic, confused teen, with a penchant for panda makeup and a wardrobe that would make an Eastern European hooker proud.

And having established a life filled with new petty dramas in her mom's university town, Jenny, true to form, begins to regard her saintly sibling as little more than a nuisance, or a chore.

It is an ongoing pattern. Whenever Jenny reaches a point in her life where she is able to delude herself that she is actually the sh*t, then Dan automatically reverts in her mind to this loser-ish dork who just doesn't get it. She begins to avoid talking to him, because it was annoyingly like having a conversation with a conscience, and Jenny didn't like to be troubled by one of them.

But whenever she reaches a point where she is forced to admit she's in trouble, or realise the gravity of her mistakes, that is when Dan is the first person she calls. Suddenly she sees the value in having a brother after all, when he once again becomes her saviour.

So when a friend of her mother's – the wife of the man Jenny has used to pass the time during her exile – coolly informs her that if she doesn't get her hands on a sizeable chunk of the VanderBass fortune she will go public with the sex tape of Jenny with her husband – Jenny's first call is to Dan.

As she expects, he turns up at her doorstep a few hours later.

What she doesn't expect, is the sight of Blair Waldorf by his side.

When Jenny indignantly demands to know what Dan is thinking by dragging Blair Waldorf into her life, Blair raises an eyebrow and bitingly interjects that she wasn't exactly thrilled either that Jenny's suburban squabbles had dragged them away from the Degas exhibit, especially as it was in its closing weekend.

Jenny is shocked by this intimation that Blair and Dan had been on some sort of date when she rang. The only way Jenny can make sense of it is by assuming that Blair is preparing to use Dan as a pawn in some sort of master plan (though she can't decide whether the scheming is most likely to be directed against herself, or Chuck, or even Serena).

Jenny therefore remains hostile and sceptical when Dan explains that he thought it best to bring Blair with him, as she really has more expertise in dealing with these kinds of situations than he does. (This is said with a sort of horror over the fact that his sister's life has come to this, and Blair pats his arm comfortingly and tells him not to worry, she had got Serena out of a similar situation several years before.)

Even though, as Blair readily points out, Jenny is in a mess of her own making, it doesn't stop her being moody and defensive, and generally ungracious about accepting the help she had asked for.

Jenny had hoped Dan would simply front her the money she needed so she could pay off the blackmailing bitch and retrieve the tape.

Dan points out several flaws in that plan. Firstly, although he is far more well-to-do these days since becoming Lily's stepson, he still doesn't have access to the kind of funds Jenny requires. Secondly, paying the blackmail would only open them up to repeat demands.

So, instead, Blair lays out a plan for turning the tables on the scorned wife. Dan interjects the occasional comment, while Jenny sullenly watches them.

She can't help but notice that Dan no longer seems revolted by Blair's scheming. Instead, as Blair expounds her strategy, Dan becomes animated, and a goofy smile settles on his face. He eagerly accedes to her plans, and even offers some suggestions of his own, which Blair smirkingly approves, remarking that he is quite adept at this for a relative novice.

Their plot unfolds perfectly, and Jenny is off the hook.

But she is left with a queasy feeling in her stomach. Because Blair and Dan's interactions have got so easy, so natural, that it's like they're working on the same wave length, constantly anticipating each other's thoughts and moves. Oh, they still bicker; but instead of both rigidly maintaining their positions and refusing to give way, their arguments now have the quality of a well-choreographed dance routine: they fluidly move through them, each taking turns to respond to the other's lead.

To Jenny, initially this seems disastrous – her brother and her nemesis have paired off together.

But then Jenny realises the situation offers her a potential upside. I mean, how long could the Queen B maintain an exile order on her potential future sister-in-law?

_Thanks to all of those who have been reviewing, especially the Chair lovers who have still been willing to give my fic a go and have passed on positive feedback. Part of me, too, would like to see Chuck and Blair redeemed, as their relationship was epic; but it's not happening for me at the moment. I know some people swooned over their thirty seconds of screen time together in the latest episode, talking about how they have so much more sexual chemistry than Dan and Blair, but it just made me sad. Chuck and Blair have chemistry it's true – they always have had, that's not the problem – the problem is their history, which it seems to me won't be resolved any time soon. And the way they looked at each other to me just expressed that sadness, that sense of nostalgia for how things were. Despite Chuck's comment that the plan is working, I don't see either of them being ready to move forward anytime soon, because even if Blair becomes her own person, it won't erase what Chuck did to her, or the cavalier attitude he has taken to their relationship since. So for the moment I'm hoping the writers will bring on more Dan and Blair because I like their fun, angst-free dynamic. Also more Damien and Eric, because Eric is a great character who delivers great one-liners and who I've wanted to see more of since season one, and Damien is just rocking it too. In fact in season three I sort of saw him as the new Chuck Bass with his cynicism and plotting but the occasional hint of someone likeable beneath; I thought if he and Jenny got together properly it might change him the way Blair had changed Chuck. But maybe it will be Eric who changes him? If Damien turns out to be bi, he will be more like the Chuck Bass in the books too. Anyway, please review!_


	6. Parentals

Their parents figure it out all around about the same time, although their reactions vary.

Dan's mother suspects when every phone call and email from Dan starts to contain a surfeit of references to Blair. She asks about school and he tells her that Blair has converted him to the pneumonic method of studying. She mentions seeing the new Colin Firth film and Dan says he was pleasantly surprised after Blair dragged him to it last week. She discusses her latest art project, and Dan can't seem to resist spouting a few of Blair's opinions on an exhibit they had recently visited. Finally, when she makes a tentative enquiry about his love life, he vacillates for a bit then says he thinks it's best that he's on his own for a while. Something Blair had said to him before Christmas has really struck home with him, and he feels he's in a place right now when he really needs to concentrate on his writing.

Dan further relates back that, by convenient coincidence, Blair's also decided that her focus for the moment should be on her career.

Alison, while not the most incisive maternal figure, knows the signs of a full-blown infatuation.

It worries her somewhat, because she wishes Dan would fall for someone closer to her own world, the world of Dan's childhood. Although it hadn't altered him the way it had Jenny, Alison had felt for years that he was slowly slipping away from the lifestyle, the routines, the people that she was familiar with, as he became more entrenched in the Upper East Side (despite his residential address). She had been overjoyed when he started dating Vanessa, a connection not only to the old world, but to her, as she had been friends with Vanessa's parents for years.

So she feels apprehensive about Dan's potential involvement with another member of the UES elite. At the same time she fears endangering the tenuous, long-distance relationship she has maintained with her son by verbalizing her concern. And she has to admit, even though this Blair Waldorf might not come from a world she understands or _wants_ to understand, it is clear that – like Dan, and like herself – Blair has an appreciation for literature, art and film. More importantly, from the amount of time she has been spending with him, Blair obviously has an appreciation for Dan.

And at least this means he's no longer fixated on _Lily's_ daughter.

Harold and Roman come to the realisation in much the same way, as Dan's name always seems on the tip of Blair's tongue, and he pops into the conversation for no apparent reason. A lot of the time it is only for Blair to make derogatory comments about his fashion taste or his flawed views on the Merchant Ivory masterpieces. But Harold still remembers how when Blair was a little girl she always used to scuff her dainty designer footwear kicking the shins of the boys she liked. (Nate Archibald and Chuck Bass in particular had sported colourful collections of bruises throughout their formative years.) So he and Roman decide they should definitely make plans to visit New York over the upcoming Spring Break, in order to properly inspect Blair's potential beau.

Harold mentions his theory in a phone call to Eleanor, but she responds with a disbelieving laugh. "Daniel Humphrey!" she chuckles, "He was a waiter at our Seder meal a few years ago. It may have escaped your notice, Harold dear, but our daughter is a bit of a snob. Blair would never date hired help!" Eleanor points out with wry affection.

She is forced to revise her opinion two days later when she takes a detour through Central Park, scoping out possible locations for an upcoming fashion shoot with her favourite photographer, and comes across Dan and Blair engaged in a snow fight.

The snow has stayed late that year, thrilling Dan who relishes the magical winter wonderland and delighting Blair with the extra opportunities this presents for ice-skating in the park. Dan is less happy about this prospect, as Blair has decided that it is her mission in life to teach him how to skate, something his uncoordinated body was never designed to do.

Dan is complaining about being dragged on yet another lesson, making sarcastic comments as he surveys the rink ominously with his back to Blair, when suddenly a snow ball hits him in the ear.

Stopping mid-rant, Dan turns to see Blair staring back at him beatifically, hands innocently clasped behind her back.

"Waldorf, did you, did you really just hit me with a snow ball?" Dan sputters.

Blair shrugs and smiles angelically. "Well, if you don't want to go ice-skating, we'll just have to find something else fun to do in the cold weather." And with that she pulls her hands around from behind her back and lobs another snow ball at him, getting him square in the face.

Dan immediately grabs a handful of snow and grins. "Not a good move, princess. As you love to remind me, I grew up on the big, bad streets of Brooklyn. Where you have to toughen up young cos' a snowball could hit you anytime, anywhere." He throws the ball at her.

"Ow!" Blair cries, rubbing her face. "It scratched my eye!"

Instantly concerned, Dan starts for her and reaches up to gently cup the side of her face. "Blair, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to throw it so hard," Dan tells her mournfully, probably more anxious than the occasion warranted. Blair responds with a quiet whimper. "Here let me see," he sooths, moving in closer so his face is mere inches from Blair's.

Just then Blair reaches up to pull back his collar, and Dan is subjected to the unpleasant sensation of ice falling down his back.

Blair scampers to a few feet away from him, grinning in self-satisfaction. "You forget, Humphrey, _I _grew up on the Upper East Side, where we don't fight fair!"

Then they are chasing each other, around the park, ducking behind trees to avoid snow-balls and taunting each other as they take their shots.

"And _you _forget Waldorf that I grew up in the same household as Jenny Humphrey. What I lack in cunning, I make up for with endless amounts of patience," Dan informs her, having drawn her to within a few feet of him by concealing himself behind a food cart. He begins pelting her with a tidy pile of pre-prepared missiles.

"Truce, truce," Blair screams, as he wrestles her to the ground and threatens to pour snow down her Alexander McQueen cashmere cardigan. Dan hesitates briefly and Blair uses the opportunity to grab one of the balls of his pile, smashing it into his hair. "No truce, no truce," she shouts, as she squirms away from him while he shakes the ice from his hair.

Eleanor watches as a grinning Dan takes off after a shrieking Blair, her cheeks pink with excitement and fun, her brown curls flying in wild abandon. She has never seen her daughter so simply joyous.

"You see Eleanor," Leonardo, the photographer pronounces smugly. "Central Park has the right sense of romance, of whimsy, for your Spring line. It infects every couple who comes here!"

Eleanor surveys the darkly attractive pair assessingly. "Yes, Leonardo, I do believe it does," she finally murmurs approvingly.

Things have been tense between Rufus and Dan for a while.

Dan had not been overly impressed that his father had just handed over the keys to the loft to an ex-con and invited him to move in with his only son. And that he had then failed to mention this offer to Dan until he arrived home to find said ex-con in the apartment with his ex-girlfriend. Who it now seemed would be dropping by frequently because his new room-mate his also her new love interest. Just what Dan wants when he's trying to move on from the never-ending drama of their will-they, won't they relationship.

Dan has taken to avoiding both Ben and the loft. This is surprisingly easy to do, as he throws himself into school and the internship. And his new friendship with Blair. Actually, it is kind of ironic that most of the time while Serena is in Brooklyn with Ben, Dan is on Park Avenue with Blair. He considers asking Serena whether they should just swap rooms and have done with it.

But when his father asks if he can meet him in Brooklyn Friday morning for a traditional Humphrey breakfast, Dan agrees. He's not really the type to hold a grudge. Besides, he's pretty sure Ben has to leave early that day to check in with his parole officer.

Rufus is pleased to have the opportunity to spend some quality time with his son. He is also pleased to be out of the penthouse, as he is still finding the atmosphere around Lily fairly toxic.

It was both these considerations that lead Rufus to the idea he lays out for Dan over their infamous waffles. Spring break is coming up and Rufus proposes that they take a road trip together, an opportunity to bond not only as father and son, but as two grown men. (It would also be a convenient excuse to get away from the chaos-filled life of his much-married wife, for a bit.)

Dan looks a little taken aback by the suggestion.

"Uh, wow, a real Humphrey road trip, huh?" he deadpans.

Rufus nods enthusiastically. "That's right son. Just you and me and the open road. What do you say?"

Dan pauses nervously. "Um, you know normally Dad I would love to, but the thing is I kind of made plans with friends," he replies evasively.

"Really?" Rufus responds in surprise. "I never really saw you as the Spring Break, Girls Gone Wild beach party type," he elaborates, a note of query in his voice.

"I'm not," Dan shakes his head. "I was actually planning on going to France for the holiday."

"France?" Rufus furrows his brow.

"Well, yeah, I mean the opportunity came up to go and there really seemed no reason not to and you know I've always really wanted to go to France," Dan falters around defensively.

Rufus raises his eyebrows questioningly. "Actually, no I did not know that." A smile begins to pull at Rufus's lips. He can tell that there is something going on here that Dan is avoiding talking about, and his keen parental instincts tell him it probably has something to do with a girl.

"So you're going to France with friends," he continues encouragingly.

"Well, a friend," Dan explains self-consciously.

"Anyone I know?"

Dan sighs. "Uh, yeah, I'm actually going with Blair," he mutters resignedly.

"Blair Waldorf?" Rufus asks incredulously, eyes wide. "You're going to spend two weeks in a foreign country with a girl you can't stand?"

"Oh, she's really not that bad once you get to know her," Dan answers defensively. "We've been hanging out a lot lately, as a matter of fact." He grins sheepishly at his father "In fact, with Vanessa gone, she's sort of become my new best friend."

"I see," Rufus replies consideringly.

Dan looks down and blurts at the rest in a hurry. "Yeah, and she's going to France to spend some time with her father and see the Spring fashion shows, and she offered to put me up if I agreed to be on bag-carrying duty when she goes shopping, and I have a bit of money saved up for my airfares and that so it just seemed like a really good time to go..." he trailed off awkwardly.

Rufus pictured the girl with the elfin features who he knew as his step-daughter's best friend, daughter's nemesis and, until recently, his son's tormentor. When Dan had first described her to him four years ago as a '95-pound doe-eyed, bon-mots tossing, label-whoring package of girly evil' Rufus had noted that, despite his stated aversion to the girl, in depicting her Dan had sounded more intrigued than repulsed. And as Rufus had told him at the time, people like that usually had a reason for acting the way they did. Having got to know Blair, he was more certain than ever that that was true.

Rufus had also thought there might be a spark between the two a year later, despite Dan's protestations that such thinking was 'sick'. (Dan's objection had seemed just a little too emphatic to be totally believable.)

Rufus grinned broadly at his son. "Well, we can take a trip together another time. In the meantime, I think a dose of French culture might be just what you need."


	7. Cyrus

Cyrus finds out just a few days after Eleanor, who would have mentioned it to him, but she is wrapped up in the stress of fashion week.

It happens because Blair gets sick.

Eleanor of course does not have the time (or for that matter the necessary patience) to nurse her.

It turns out Serena is something of a germaphobe (rather ironically given the indiscriminate number of people she has shared saliva and other bodily fluids with over the years) and she flees the Waldorfs to seek refuge from the potential epidemic.

Normally Dorota would take care of Blair, but as baby Anastasia still has not had all her jabs, it is felt that it is best she steers clear of Blair until she is on the mend.

Knowing all this, Cyrus decides to leave work early to spend the afternoon with his favourite stepdaughter. (That is what he always calls her, oblivious to her eye-rolling response that she is in fact his only stepdaughter.)

Eleanor tries to dissuade him, pointing out that Blair isn't the easiest person to deal with when is well, and being ill does not tend to improve her disposition. In fact sick Blair was something of a fully-fired up virago, cursing the world's injustice in bringing her to such a state.

Cyrus doesn't mind. He has an uncanny insight into Blair's quirks and he understands why she really hates being sick. It is because the rigorous standards Blair sets in life don't just apply to her minions or the people around her; there is no one she is harsher on then herself. She believes that she has to be perfect: anything less simply isn't an option. Blair sees being sick as a sign of weakness, and views it as a black betrayal on her body's part. A taunting failure of her rigorous routine of daily vitamin supplements and low-impact aerobic exercise.

Cyrus doesn't mind dealing with angry and sick Blair because he knows she only lashes out when she feels vulnerable. And he has a knack for getting behind Blair's defences and making her smile again.

That afternoon he discovers that Dan has the same knack.

Dan knocks on the door to Blair's bedroom but receives no reply except for the sound of a dry, hacking cough. He tentatively enters.

Blair is hunched up in bed, one hand searching for something on the bedside table whilst the other covers her mouth as the nasty-sounding coughing continues. The bedspread is bunched up and it is obvious she has been tossing and turning for a while. For once Blair is wearing proper pyjamas, rather than her usual babydoll nighties. Her hair is pulled back roughly in a ponytail to keep it off her face, which is even paler than usual. She looks very young.

She finds the bottle of medicine she has been searching for, and as she grabs it turns to glare at Dan.

"Humphrey, I am definitely not in the mood to go to a movie, which, as it seems I have to remind you again, was only a one," she pauses and looks a little shocked when she does the math, "or twelve-time thing. There is no need for you to keep inflicting your presence on me."

As usual Dan remains unfazed by her hostility.

"Actually, I came over because I heard you were sick," he replies calmly, as he moves further into the room.

"So what, you're here to add to my torture?" Blair quipped acerbically, frowning as she tosses back another pill.

Dan ignores her comment, simply sending her a wry grin. "Serena was the one who told me you were ill. For the interim she's seeking refuge in my part of the city, or more precisely with my room-mate. And since it was definitely shaping up into a three's a crowd moment I decided I'd visit and see how you're doing."

Blair sinks back onto the pillows. "Well, as you can see I'm doing awful. I've been completely abandoned by my family and best friend to waste away and die. Dorota didn't even make me her special, drives disease away chicken soup before she left," Blair adds a bit woebegone, before once again glaring at him bitchily.

"So now you've received a full status report on my dying condition, you can take yourself off again. It might be the practice in your family to turn your home into a half-way house at a moment's notice, but I don't believe in offering shelter to every stray off the street. Vamoose," she tries to point a finger to the door authoritatively, but the gesture is undercut a little by the fact that her hands are trembling from the fever.

Instead of turning to leave, Dan moves forward, an expression of concern on his face. He takes a seat on the edge of the bed beside Blair. Her jaw drops at his temerity, but before she has time to ask him what in the name of Louis Vuitton he thinks he's doing, Dan has pressed a hand gently to her forehead.

His skin is cool against hers and Blair is suddenly very, very aware of him, and of how close he is too her. Something seems to pass between them, and she knows that he feels it too. Their eyes lock as his hand lingers longer than is necessary for the purposes of temperature checking. He strokes his thumb across her brow, leaving a tingling pathway in its wake.

The moment is interrupted by another vicious spasm of coughing.

"That doesn't sound good," Dan comments anxiously. "And your skin is really hot. I'm going to get a cold washcloth, see if we can bring your temperature down a little."

She is too weak from coughing to protest as he leaves for the bathroom, but when he returns Blair glowers at him again.

"I've told you before, Humphrey, I don't like having you this close to me without a tetanus shot," Blair gibes as he raises the compress to her forehead. "And do we have to go over the no touching rule again?" Blair asks as he starts to use another washcloth on her arms.

"Sticks and stones, Waldorf. Besides," Dan says reflectively, as he carefully sponges her skin, "I know the reason you're sulky. Well, more so than usual."

Blair's mouth compresses into a straight line, but she can't resist asking, "Oh, pray enlighten me, oh wise one. Though most people would accept being ravaged by plague excuse enough to be a little irritable."

"Nope, that's not it," Dan retorts certainly. "The reason is that you think if you're off-putting enough no one will be able to stand to come near you, and that will mean no one will see you with your eyes all red, and your face all puffy and blotchy, and with snot coming out your..."

"Okay, you've done your Florence Nightingale routine, now it's time to scram," Blair cries grumpily, trying to push Dan off the bed. But he refuses to budge.

"Really, Waldorf, you're such a girl," Dan grins, pulling on her ponytail. "Besides, how can I leave you here all alone? This bout of flu is most likely a direct result of our snow fight the other day. Which means it's probably my fault."

"Well, I don't need you taking care of me because you feel guilty, or feel sorry for me, or because you don't want to be a witness to Serena's hot for teacher special," Blair snaps, batting his hand away.

Dan's brow furrowed. "Is that what you think?" Dan asks gently. He shakes his head slowly. "Blair, even if Serena hadn't invaded the loft I would still have wanted to make sure you were okay." He smiles. "And you make it absolutely impossible for anyone to feel sorry for you, or guilty about causing your enfeebled condition."

"Then why are you here?" she queries softly.

Dan's smile widens. "Because despite the red eyes and puffy face, you're actually quite cute when you're sick. I think I'll stick around for a while. Plus, this is the perfect time to continue our journey through classic American film noir with _Laura _and _In A Lonely Place_, both of which I picked up before coming over here."

Thus when Cyrus arrives home he finds the pair over them curled up in Blair's bed, her underneath the covers and him on top, watching old movies and bickering softly the influence of German Expressionism's mise-en-scène and Humphrey Bogart's merits as an actor.

But Cyrus sees Blair smile, and he knows.

_More promise of Dair in next week's episode, yay! I'm hoping the events that unfold will solidify them firmly in the friend territory at least. I have to admit I loved the Chair banter in this week's episode. But these days I find it really hard to relate to Chuck as a character when he's not interacting with Blair, so the Chuck-Raina scenes were just a snooze for me. Great that Blair is becoming more empowered though – both with her (somewhat improbable) promotion and the way she feels secure enough in herself to help Chuck with the whole Raina situation. But in my opinion Chuck owes Blair for a lot more than just reconciling Raina to him, and I hate the way that aspect of their relationship keeps getting ignored. No matter how scintillating Chuck and Blair are together, I really can't get over the hotel thing. Not just that it happened, but that Chuck never really seemed to appreciate the gravity of what he did, and rather than really suffering from the loss of Blair blithely and immediately began to work his way through a queue of women again. Their whole relationship has been devalued somewhat for me now. And though I like seeing Chuck and Blair together as friends and scheming partners (which I wish we had got more of while they were actually _in _a relationship together), I feel like I'm also becoming increasingly sadistic in thinking of all the plotlines I'd like to see happen that would make Chuck suffer and regret his treatment of Blair. Dair meanwhile has the potential of lots of happy, fun, angst-free romance with extra helpings of sarcastic banter, which I love, as I tend to prefer the show's comedic elements to its moments of OTT drama._

_Anyway, please read and review, because I love hearing from you all. Your positive feedback puts a big smile on my face all day._


	8. Ben and Raina

It becomes so obvious, even those on the sidelines begin to notice.

Ben has got good at picking up on the subtleties of body language in prison, where correctly reading the emotional atmosphere and shifting undercurrents was something you had to learn fast if you were to have any chance of staying alive long enough to get paroled.

His new aptitude at interpreting facial cues allows him to instantly pick up on Serena's desire, Rufus's sincerity, Damien's bile.

Ben himself, on the other hand, had learned to school his own features into an emotionless mask that carefully gave little away of the turmoil within.

Conversely, for all their practice at lying and deception, Blair and Dan's feelings tended to be openly and uncomplicatedly reflected in their faces. And Ben, in his handful of encounters with the pair at the loft, or at the events Serena drags him to, picks up on the subtle indicators of their attraction to each other.

Ben knows because - as good as he is at reading people nowadays – he has never been able to share the silent, almost telepathic communication that seems to go on between Blair and Dan in their shared glances.

He sees it in the way Dan's eyes stray to Blair's face whenever they are with a group of people, whether or not she's the one speaking.

He gets it from the way Blair watches Dan when he doesn't know it, looking at him as if he's some secret or problem she can't figure out.

He picks up on the fact that at parties Dan invariably appears at Blair's side at some point in the proceedings and wordlessly proffers a plate of food he has prepared for her.

He senses that the playful slaps, pinches and occasional kicks Blair bombards Dan with are just an excuse to touch him.

And it doesn't escape his attention that Dan always presses closer to Blair's side whenever another male comes on the scene. (Especially, a certain dark-hard deviant who was apparently Serena's step-brother, but who, unlike Dan – also her step-brother – she had assured Ben she had not dated.)

So when Serena explains the convoluted web of interpersonal relationships that exist in her little world, he is surprised that she makes no mention of a connection between Blair and Dan.

"So Blair and Dan have never dated?" he seeks to clarify, because he figures that as everyone's romantic histories seem so complicated, it is possible that the liaison could simply have slipped Serena's mind.

But she bursts out laughing. "Blair and Dan?" She questions incredulously, eyebrows raised. "They can't stand each other," she dismisses with a chuckle.

The next even Ben is reluctantly dragged to is a party in celebration of Chuck's new position in the Thorpe business empire. It is also evidently a chance for Chuck to reassure the stockholders in Bass Industries of the company's stability, by flaunting the extreme closeness of his professional and personal relationship with Raina Thorpe.

Ben sees Blair gazing wistfully at Chuck as he dances with Raina.

The pair moves together gracefully. But, according to Ben's adjudication of their body language, rather soullessly.

Dan comes up behind Blair. He tentatively taps her on the shoulder and holds out his hand. Blair responds with a warm smile – her genuine good humour a marked contrast to the brittle smirk on the face of the guest of honour – and she puts her hand in his. Then, without saying a word, Dan leads her onto the dance floor, holding her carefully, as if she were something infinitely precious. And Ben knows, that no matter what Serena says, they're a couple.

Raina realises it too. At the same party no less.

After Blair had effected Raina's reconciliation with Chuck, the two had established a policy of polite diplomacy towards the other. At events such as these they would acknowledge one another cordially, Raina would make an admiring comment about Blair's dress and Blair would respond with an approving remark about Raina's shoes, and then they would usually pass on. Apart from this they shared little contact as individuals, although they had been forced to interact as part of a group on several occasions. And during such encounters Raina has seen Blair and Dan interact.

But it doesn't really hit her until the celebration party.

It is not much really. Just a scrap of conversation, most of which really doesn't even mean anything to her, because she has no idea what they're talking about.

Blair, always the perfectly correct and polite party guest, comes up to swap a few words with Raina as the nominal hostess.

"Excellent turn-out," Blair purrs. "Another successful exhibition of Bass hedonism."

Raina is about to respond when Dan struggles through the crowd to appear at Blair's side.

He looks at Raina as if he's not really seeing her and mutters a quick 'hi' before turning to talk to Blair. As a beautiful heiress Raina is not accustomed to such disinterest from men. It makes her annoyed, but also just the tiniest bit intrigued about what could have drawn Dan so forcefully to Blair's side.

Unfortunately his opening remark does not enlighten her, as turning from Raina, he tells Blair cajolingly, "I promise to observe the two seat rule this time."

"It's not happening, Humphrey," Blair replies frustratedly. "I've told you before, it puts the 'ic' in 'esoteric'."

"I'll pay for the popcorn."

"You always pay for the popcorn. And besides, if memory serves me right, you still owe me ten over the antics of a certain distressing blonde bombshell."

Dan shakes his head. "No, I settled that bet by buying you the souvenir programme at the Manet exhibition."

Blair smiles patronizingly. "That was in settlement of our bet over the continuing disappointment caused to you by your beloved stepsister. But you still owe me for your scoffing at my dire predictions that your not-so-beloved sister was also bound to re-appear on the scene before long _and also_ cause you continuing disappointment." Blair pauses and looks off at a point beyond Raina's shoulder. "Now, if you'll excuse me, there appears to be a girl from Hamilton House here who's wearing tights as pants. I swear, I'm going to have to institute daily wardrobe inspections before anyone goes outside."

Blair disappears into the crowd, and after mumbling incoherently about evil dictators for a few seconds, Dan follows her.

And it suddenly strikes Raina that the two of them always seem to be in the middle of a conversation.

They never simply say hello to each other when they pass each other at these events. Their opening lines to each other are always comments (often gibes) that indicate they are resuming an earlier conversation.

Blair and Dan seem to be involved in an endless dialogue together, in which everything else in their life merely acts as a brief interruption.

Despite their seeming differences, the two have a rapport that goes beyond repartee. Throughout their banter, they seem comfortable with each other.

Raina glances wistfully over at Chuck, engaged in conversation with one of the very blonde cocktail waitresses. In the beginning, she had high hopes for their relationship, as they seemed to have so much in common. But it was beginning to feel like she was waiting for them to arrive at a place they might never reach. In marked contrast to Blair and Dan, lately their exchanges had become stilted and awkward.

And Raina can't help wondering who it is that are the true couple.

Through wordless communication or endless conversation, it was thus becoming clear to even those on the outskirts that Blair and Dan are in sync the way only two people in love could ever be.


	9. Serena

Serena really should have seen it much earlier, and the fact that she doesn't isn't entirely her fault.

Because Blair and Dan have significantly kept quiet about the amount of time they have been spending together lately.

At first Blair tells herself she's not mentioning the outings to Serena because of the shame spending so much time with someone from Brooklyn entails; later she justifies it to herself as a disinclination to be forced to admit to Serena that Dan might actually have a few redeeming qualities.

Dan tells himself that he's keeping their new-found friendship (notwithstanding Blair's denials of the term) under wraps because it's hardly Serena's business who he spends time with anymore (given that two weeks after she had supposedly 'chosen' him she moved on to the ex-con who had plotted her social destruction from his jail cell). And there really isn't anything _to tell _anyway, Dan justifies to himself, even though he is left with a slight niggling feeling in the pit of his stomach (guilt? anxiety? hope?).

Dan and Blair's increasing compatibility is further camouflaged from the golden-haired hurricane by the fact that both continue to banter and make digs at the other's expense. (Like most beautiful people, Serena has difficulties seeing beyond the surface of things.)

It also helps that Serena has not seen much of her best friend or erstwhile love interest, embroiled yet again in a cycle of dramas that would make Jerry Springer eat his heart out.

Although the incident with Damien had allowed Dan to come to terms with Ben's involvement in Serena's life, his rosy predictions that the rest of her friends and family would soon follow suit had not come to fruition.

It was making it difficult for Ben to adjust to her lifestyle, and was putting a strain on their relationship. Serena had tried to cajole the various people in her life to make a friend of Ben, given how badly he needed one, but so far her efforts had met with little success. Eric is still suspicious, Nate is wary, Chuck indifferent, Dan sympathetic but perpetually busy and Blair (as she had informed Serena) is trying to make connections in the business world, not the underworld.

But Serena, ever the buoyant-to-the-point-of-naivety-optimist, remains undeterred. She decides to throw a party at the loft to show off her new boyfriend.

She plans something on a smaller scale than usual, which will give Ben a real chance to get to know those closest to her, and, more importantly, for them to get to know and accept him.

She decides that a 'games night' will be a great way to force everyone to interact and have fun, no matter how resistant they are to the idea. After much wheedling, Blair and Dan promise to be there, and Nate agrees to come with his new girlfriend (Melinda? Melissa?). Chuck and Raina take a raincheck due to a conflicting business trip to Tokyo. The hardest to convince is Eric, who has remained sullen and hostile since Damien left town. But Serena plays the family card in order to mandate his attendance. Keen to do a little matchmaking and get Eric back onto what she sees as the right track, she also invites Jonathon.

Serena, like a blonder, more manic version of Robin Goodfellow, thus unwittingly sets the stage for one of the most disastrous events in their cohort's history.

Eric, already antagonistic to the night's proceedings, becomes even more belligerent when he discovers Serena has not only invited Jonathon, but that the two have been talking about him behind his back. He spends the rest of the night seemingly channelling the spirit of the dearly departed Jenny Humphrey by making bitchy comments to Ben, Serena and the deeply hurt and confused Jonathon.

Ben refuses to be buoyed by her enthusiasm, and remains stubbornly taciturn throughout the evening. (Serena's immature obliviousness to the realities of the world around her has been becoming less charming and more aggravating after seeing her naked several times.)

Melanie leaves the party in tears when a Gossip Girl blast is posted in the middle of the party that reveals Nate hasn't got over his penchant for older women, and has been sleeping with her mom.

The night is capped off when Lily arrives at the loft, having just found out that her husband had installed the man she sent to jail there behind her back, and begins screaming at Serena about her 'betrayal', and threatens to have Ben sent back to prison for continued harassment of his 'victim'. After Lily struts out, Ben also storms off.

All this almost serves to distract Serena from the fact that, out of everyone, Blair and Dan seem to be the only ones who have a good time.

They begin the night as aloofly reserved as everyone else, responding to Serena's energetic attempts to engender conversation with monosyllabic answers, seeming to draw closer together on the couch for support as the awkwardness grows.

As she tries to get Nate and Ben talking (a doomed effort since Ben knows next to nothing about lacrosse and Nate has zero interest in literature), Serena notices Blair and Dan whispering to each other in their own corner. Occasionally she hears them chuckling softly.

When she smiles and asks them what's so funny (hoping some laughter might lighten the atmosphere), Dan tells her they were just wondering if these were L'occitane washed wine glasses. When the others look confused, Blair dismisses the comment as a private joke.

Serena rallies and convinces everyone that a game of 'taboo' will be a perfect way to kick off the evening. The object of the game is to have a partner guess a name or expression without using the list of proscribed words one would normally associate with it. The team that gets the most correct guesses in a set amount of time wins.

"Okay, the game requires we play as teams so why don't we play as couples?" Serena says excitedly. When no one responds, she continues, "Okay so Ben and I will be one team, and Nate and Melissa – ooh, sorry Melanie – will be another, and Eric you can play with Jonathon. I guess that leaves Blair and Dan together." She smiled encouragingly at the pair, hoping Blair wasn't about to throw one of her tantrums about having to be teamed up with Dan Humphrey.

Instead Blair just snorts. "Well, if I'm going to be forced to play these inane games at least I have a partner with a bit of brain power," she turns and stares meaningfully at Dan, "Losing isn't something I handle well Humphrey, so you better bring your A-game."

"Relax, Waldorf. Board-game nights are a Humphrey family tradition," Dan reassured her drily. "And I just happen to be the reigning taboo champion. We've got this in the bag. Provided you don't let the side down of course."

Blair slaps his shoulder playfully in reproach. Serena shushes them so that Nate and Melanie can take the first turn.

The egg-timer is flipped on, but in three minutes the pair manages to get zero points. Nate, never the brightest bulb himself, is seriously handicapped by his vacuous partner, who spends most of her time staring at the paper and saying 'ooh, I don't know', 'ooh, that's a hard one', rather than giving him clues.

Eric and Jonathon go next. Eric makes no effort to conceal his boredom and says 'pass' frequently, but he makes a few correct guesses, putting them in the lead.

Then it is Serena and Ben's turn. Ben becomes slightly more animated as he tries to give Serena clues, but it soon turns to frustration as she repeatedly guesses wrong.

"Oh, you'll be able to guess this one," Ben says with a smile just as the timer is about to go off. "I can quote you one of my favourite passages – 'Only a man who has felt ultimate despair is capable of feeling ultimate bliss'."

"Er...I um... Shakespeare?" Serena questions weakly as the timer goes off.

"_The Count of Monte Cristo_," Dan says, rolling his eyes, unable to resist a chance to show off his own literary prowress.

"Personally, I prefer Dumas's more prosaic offering that it is time to 'take up the rank, influence, and power which great wealth gives in the world'," Blair quipped.

Dan makes a face. "That's not the point of the story at all and you know it," he begins bickering with her.

Serena turns to Ben with a sheepish expression as the other two continue to debate Dumas's intent.

"I haven't actually read it in a while," she admits awkwardly.

Ben gives her a tight smile, but Serena sees a familiar expression in his eyes. Disillusionment. It is a look all her boyfriends have worn at one time or another.

"Okay, our turn," Blair says officiously. "Dan, you give the clues and I'll guess."

Blair starts the timer and then turns to stare at Dan expectantly. Her posture is tense and it is clear she is eager to win.

Dan picks up the first card. He muses for a second then says, "Stars the guy whose voice creeps you out and is set in the place we always end up on Thanksgiving."

"_Frankie and Johnny_," Blair muses. "Although we did break with tradition this year."

"Right," Dan says proudly, taking another card. "Your Renaissance-era role model," he prompts.

"Machiavelli," Blair replies without hesitation.

By the time Blair guesses the third card right, Serena has a curious, slightly queasy feeling building in her stomach. She tries to tell herself that there is no logical reason why it should disturb her, but Dan's easy familiarity with her best friend is surprising. And unsettling.

"42," Dan tells Blair shortly as a clue to their eighth card.

Serena is sure Blair will be as bamboozled as she is by such an enigmatic hint, but after rolling her eyes Blair quickly replies, "The secret of life. I can't believe you liked that book. It wasn't nearly as funny as you and the author thought it was."

Dan's mouth quirks at the corners but he is too busy moving onto the next card to respond. His brow furrows for a minute before he says apologetically, "Nate and Duchess Beaton."

"Blackmail? Gigolo?" Blair questions hurriedly but Dan shakes his head. "Oedipal complex?"

"Yes!" Dan responds triumphantly, pulling Blair into a half-hug around the waist. The movement should be awkward, but seems surprisingly natural.

"Hey, just because she was a bit older..." Nate objects annoyed, but Dan is already moving on.

"Okay, you think his work is prurient, self-indulgent twaddle but I still think that his style of prose..."

"Oh, please, as much as I enjoy a bit of repressed male homo-eroticism, you will never be able to convince me that there is any merit in D. H. Lawrence's work unless you skip straight to the naughty bits," Blair interjects contemptuously.

Dan groans but picks up the next card.

"Most romantic spot in Manhattan," he prods.

Serena is sure that Blair will answer Tiffany's or the Empire State Building. She wonders if this one will stump the pair, because she's pretty sure that Dan thinks the most romantic place in the city is the Brooklyn Promenade or the Botanical Gardens.

But Blair catches Dan's eyes and gives him a small knowing smile. "The New York Public Library," she answers assuredly.

Dan chuckles. "One of the few things we both agree on."

He reaches for the next card, but Serena is no longer concentrating on the game. There is a sudden pounding in her ears as she wonders when exactly her ex-boyfriend became better acquainted with her best friend than she is.

While she is pondering this perplexing problem, Dan and Blair manage to rack up several more points.

They have been moving through the cards with impressive rapidity, but Dan finally reaches one that gives him pause. His face flushes, and he clears his throat a little. But his voice when he speaks is sure and steady, and filled with warm tenderness as he recites:

_I'd like you even if you were malign_

_And had a yen for sudden homicide._

_I'd let you put insecticide _

_Into my wine._

_I'd like to find a good excuse_

_To call on you and find you in._

_I'd like to put my hand beneath your chin,_

_And see you grin._

_I'd like to taste your Charlotte Russe,_

_I'd like to feel my lips upon your skin,_

_I'd like to make you reproduce._

_I'd like you in my confidence._

_I'd like to be your only audience,_

_The final name in your appointment book,_

_Your future tense._

The timer goes off as Dan is speaking but he doesn't stop, or break eye contact from Blair.

At the end he pauses, looking into her eyes, then seems to shake himself and chuckles nervously.

"Those are the only lines I can remember," he explains sheepishly.

"Valentine," Blair says quietly, sounding a little dazed. "It's my favourite John Fuller poem."

"Well, that doesn't count. The buzzer had already gone off," Melanie objects waspishly.

Blair finally breaks eye contact with Dan to turn to the other girl.

"I think even conceding that point our total of fifteen still beats your score of zero," Blair reminds her sweetly. "And makes us the winners."

Ben and Jonathon clap for them half-heartedly. Nate is still put out that Dan and Blair have been psycho-analysing him, Eric is busy pointedly ignoring Jonathon by texting someone else and Serena is still bewildered by Dan and Blair's camaraderie and the strange moment they had both just seemed to share.

She excuses herself to the kitchen on the pretext of needing to refresh the appetizers and tries to make sense of the easy-going familiarity she had just witnessed.

"Hey S, need any help?" Blair asks, joining her in the kitchen.

"Oh, no," Serena assures her distractedly. "Go out there and enjoy the party."

Blair raises her eyebrows. "Oh yeah, it's a real riot out there," she says sardonically.

Serena's eyes narrow. "You and Dan certainly seemed to be having fun earlier," she queries uncertainly, just a touch of jealousy in her voice.

Blair shrugs non-committedly. "You know I always get a rush from beating other people," she responds lightly, swiping a piece of crudités.

"Are you sure that's all it was?" Serena returns knowingly.

Blair glares at her. "What are you getting at?"

"Well, the way you guys blew through that game it was obvious that you...well...really know each other. Plus you both just seem very...comfortable together...that's all. And I'm just wondering when exactly that happened," Serena probes acerbically.

"Well, I have known the guy now for the last four years," Blair comments drily. "And, I guess, what with the W internship, and you being busy with Ben while I no longer have Chuck and Dan no longer has Vanessa, he and I have been spending a certain amount of time together," she adds with a stab at nonchalance she doesn't quite achieve.

"But is that it? Because you could tell me if something more was going on," Serena says reassuringly. She is sincere in this. Even though the prospect of Blair and Dan being together makes her feel far from sanguine, she knows she has no right to object. And that both Blair and Dan have a right to be happy.

But Blair just gapes at her in horror. "Dan Humphrey? How can you suggest such things while I'm trying to eat? You know I have digestive problems!" she rails before flouncing out.

Serena is temporarily reassured by this discussion, as the idea of Blair and Dan together still makes little sense to her, despite their seeing connection earlier. But she supposed she could see how they might have recently become friends, having been thrown together at _W. _And they did share common interests.

More so than she and Ben, as this night was making abundantly clear.

When she brings the next round of appetizers out, Serena announces that the next part of the evening's entertainment is going to involve a trip into nostalgia. She's rented a karaoke machine with all sixties music.

"Can we really be nostalgic for an era none of us have lived through?" Dan questions idly.

The night however briefly starts to pick up. Serena's performance of 'You Can't Hurry Love' earns thunderous applause, and Nate's unintentionally self-mocking rendition of 'I Get Around' is like-wise well-received (though Blair, Dan and Eric can't quite hide their sniggers at the irony).

Then the GG blast hits about Nate's amorous exploits with Melanie's mum and she grabs the microphone in a fit of drunken anger and bellows out a few verses of 'Respect' before breaking off to slap Nate in the face and storm out. Nate quickly follows.

Serena tries to salvage the situation.

"Well, that was unexpected," she jokes weakly. "But we don't need to let it ruin our night. Who haven't we heard from? Eric, why don't you get up there?" she suggests with a smile in her brother's direction.

"Yeah, karaoke's not really my thing," he replies self-deprecatingly. "But Dan and Blair haven't sung yet either. And I'd bet you guys would sing a great duet," he proposes devilishly.

Blair and Dan exchange an uncomfortable glance. They both begin to protest at once.

"Oh, I don't know..." Dan starts.

"I've vowed off singing..." Blair argues.

"Please guys?" Serena interrupts, a note of desperation in her voice.

The duo exchange another speaking look.

"Fine," Blair answers for both of them.

"What should we sing?" Dan muses, reaching for the song list.

"Oh, don't worry, I know the perfect number," Eric cuts across, pushing a few buttons on the machine.

Dan and Blair reluctantly pick up the microphones as the strains of 'Daydream Believers' start to play.

Dan sings the first lines

_Oh, I could hide 'neath the wings of the bluebird as she sings  
The six o'clock alarm would never ring_

He pokes the still silent Blair in the arm and she rolls her eyes and continues with the next lines.

_But it rings and I rise wipe the sleep out of my eyes  
The shavin' razor's cold, and it stings  
_

They both join together for the chorus.

_Cheer up, sleepy Jean, oh what can it mean  
To a_ (Blair motions to Dan)_ daydream believer and a _(Dan looks at Blair significantly) _homecoming queen?  
_

Having got into the song, Dan and Blair grin at each other and being to sway to the music as they sing the next verse.

_You once thought of me as a white knight on his steed  
Now you know how happy we can be  
Oh, and our good times start and end without dollar one to spend  
But how much baby do we really need?  
_

Serena is once again transfixed by the sight of them together. And she is finally able to put her finger on it. They already look like a couple!

But this realisation is interrupted by the untimely arrival of Lily, which cuts short the duet and the rest of the evening.

After Ben has stormed out, and Eric and Jonathon have said their separate goodbyes, there is only Blair, Dan and Serena left.

"Don't worry S," Blair comforts a tearful Serena. "He won't be able to stay mad at you. They never are." (This sly dig at his own – and every other male's – gullibility when it comes to Serena Van der Woodsen earns a quick smile from Dan; unseen by Serena of course.)

"He'll be back here before you know it," Blair continues soothingly.

Serena nods her head shakily. "I hope you're right," she sniffs. "I think I'll wait here for him."

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Blair asks sympathetically.

Serena smiles waterily. "No, it's fine. You should head back to the penthouse."

"Okay S," Blair gives her hand a final squeeze before going to collect her scarf and coat.

"I'll see you outside in a minute," Dan calls after her.

"It will be alright," Dan tells Serena, turning back.

"Actually, I don't know if it will," Serena shakes her head sadly.

"I think maybe I made a mistake. I fell in love with the idea of this man I knew five years ago. But I don't know if that man still exists, or if he ever existed outside my schoolgirl fantasies. Maybe I just wanted to be with Ben because of what he represents," she goes on.

"A chance to break away from my world, from my mother...Or maybe I just used him as an excuse because I was afraid to face the future. To go after what my heart really wants," she looks at him meaningfully.

"Serena," Dan sighs. It is a slightly exasperated sound and Serena cuts in.

"Will you wait with me here tonight?" she pleads. "I could really use the company," she smiles coaxingly.

Dan hesitates for a second, then turns and looks towards the door.

"I've got to see Blair home. Make sure she gets there safely," Dan tells her definitely. "What you really need is some time for self-reflection, and then the chance to have a heart-to-heart with Ben without anyone around...I won't come back tonight, so you two can have some privacy."

And while this all sounds perfectly reasonable, Serena knows in that second what is really going on.

Dan has chosen Blair over her.

He may not know it yet, but Serena has lost him forever.


End file.
